Back to Evelyn

I ended the call and finally sat down on my chair with a small sigh. It was almost 3 PM now and I hadn't eaten anything apart from a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin Leah had brought when she arrived which was around six hours ago.

I had a meeting with my team regarding the changes with advertising strategies and additional resources required for the company. The meeting was tiresome to say the least and when it finally ended, I had a video conference scheduled with an investor from Italy. He was not fluent in English at all and his thick accent made it difficult to catch a word he said. Fortunately, I'd learnt Italian and had been to Italy several times so we were finally able to come up to a common ground although my Italian was barely passable.

And now I was just a second away from chewing my nails out as I wait for Leah to bring me the papers that required my signature. She was supposed to bring them ten minutes ago since I was about to take the day off after closing that deal. I was just contemplating leaving it for tomorrow when a knock came from my office door.

Without looking up from the file I was currently looking at, I motioned for Leah to come inside. "Thank God you've finally arrived, Leah! How long does it take to print a few pages of paper? I'm literally starving right now. I feel like I could have eaten you up had you taken a second longer!" I rubbed my temples which were throbbing at the moment. "Now don't just stand here! Bring me the file so that I can sign it and get going." I added as I sensed no movement from her.

"'Well, I might taste different from your assistant but I'll let you eat me up anytime. I'm sure I would taste much better." A deep, husky voice spoke from the door which was definitely not Leah.

Startled, I looked up and almost dropped my pen when I saw Adrian standing at the door with his hands in his pant pockets, a smirk forming in his mouth and amusement all over his face. I narrowed my eyes at him as he entered my office and casually sat himself in the seat in front of my desk.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Stone." I said sarcastically and raised my eyebrows when he smirked at my obvious annoyance. "May I ask what you're doing here in my office?" I asked trying my best to appear somewhat civil as my hunger meter was rising dangerously high which was a warning red signal that I was about to lose my cool and lash out on the first person or thing in front of me. And I did not want it to be Adrian, no matter how annoying he was. Because I didn't want to appear anything except unprofessional to him and a certain memory from last week's party was still stuck in a tiny part of my mind.

For a moment Adrian had an odd expression on his face and his eyes seemed a little too familiar to me but immediately I shook my head and everything was normal again including his expression as if I was just imagining it. Maybe my hunger meter playing games with me.

Adrian looked around my office as he answered, "Well, I'm here to check up on the works and see if you're having any problem. This company shares my name in some way so I gotta ensure that my reputation is still intact after all." He shrugged like he was just talking about how his neighbour's great grandmother died of age instead of not so subtly insulting my company and its capability.

That was the last straw. My hunger meter blew out and my anger went up to a whole new level as I stood up from my seat and glared at him. "What do you mean 'ensure your reputation is intact'? Are you trying to say that Eva's does not match up to your reputation? If it is so then by all means terminate the contract. We are not a charity case for you. Let me remind you, Eva's has been one of the most successful company and the fastest to rise to such a height even before you came along. We'll have no problem if you end it all up because it's our hardwork and dedication that has made us successful, not your well reputed company and it was you who initiated the proposal not the other way round. So you have no right to degrade me and my company that way."

I took a deep breath and saw him sitting with his eyes wide and mouth open as if he couldn't believe what just happened. To be honest I couldn't as well because I knew I was being irrational in the back of my mind but when I'm extremely hungry and tired... well, let's just say hungry and tired Evelyn was not the best Evelyn.

Still seemingly in a daze, Adrian slowly stood up with his hands raised in surrender as he looked at me as if I'd suddenly grown two heads. I might as well have since I could feel my head getting heavier than before.

Adrian cleared his throat and shook his head with his eyes still wide. I would've laughed if I was a normal Evelyn and not a hungry tired Evelyn.

He frowned and looked at me as he said, "I... uh... I-I'm really sorry. Evelyn, I didn't meant to... I didn't mean it in that way. I was just... just joking. I'm sorry... I don't about think your company that way. It... it was just a meaningless and a stupid joke, I swear!" He was about to say more but was interrupted by the shrill voice of my assistant.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Stone! Ms. White! It's all my fault!" Leah came running impressively fast in her high heels and finally with the contract papers. Standing beside Adrian, she took a few deep breaths and looked at Adrian. "I'm sorry, Mr Stone. Please don't mind her. It's my fault.

She's been working nonstop since this morning and hasn't stopped for lunch. She wanted to sign these papers before going for lunch but I took too long as I couldn't find the staplers and I had to go all the way to the IT department to get them because it was the nearest and I had to return it too so I'm late and Ms. White is hungry. And she becomes a tad bit irrational and angry when she's hungry so it's not her fault, really. It's all me so please don't take it against her." Finally she finished her rambling and took a deep breath once again as she looked at Adrian for his response.

Adrian seemed loss of words even more so than before. I think he was processing all that Leah spurted in less than a minute. It took him a few moments to process and when he did, he smirked. Then he smiled. At Leah. Not that I was complaining. Nope. Stupid hunger meter.

"Oh, it's no problem, er... Ms..." he raised an eyebrow at her. Leah suddenly started blushing and stuttered her name, "Leah... L-Leah Brooks." Maybe she just recognized the person whom she was rambling to in my defence.

Adrian simply nodded at her and continued. "Right, Ms. Brooks. It's quite alright. I am equally to blame as well. I shouldn't have made such a comment although it was meant to be a joke. I do think Eva's and its every members are more than competent and they're one of the best team in the business world. Forgive me if I offended any of you." He smiled at her once again before turning to me.

I saw Leah blush even a deeper shade and before she could reply I interrupted her not wanting to be a third wheeler for a flirting session that could be starting very soon right in front of me. "If you're finished talking about me like I'm not present then can I please have those papers so that I could completely work and actually leave if you need to carry on?" I said raising my eyebrows at the both of them.

Leah blushed yet again and handed me the papers while Adrian was back to smirking. Ignoring him, I took the papers and checked them again. I'd read every details in the contract but wanted to check once again before signing. Satisfied with everything, I signed it and instructed Leah to send it to my lawyer by the end of the day. She nodded and left to her office and I started packing my things from the desk.

I saw that Adrian was still at the same spot and raised my eyebrows at him. Again. "Is there something you need?" I inquired. He shook his head and said, "I'll take you for lunch." I was about to refuse it when he held out his hand to me. "Look, I haven't had lunch either and I don't really like eating alone. So we can just eat together. Please?"

Ugh. Please? That was not a thing to say to a hungry Evelyn. I couldn't refuse now. Thinking it was not a big deal, I just nodded and felt my heart do something funny as he smiled at me. This smile was bigger than the one he gave to Leah and it brought out the light in his eyes making him look like a-... No, don't go there. Stop, hungry Evelyn.

I carried my bag and exited my office with Adrian following quickly behind. I passed Leah on the way out and bid her a quick goodbye once again reminding her to send the contract papers. Adrian just nodded at her and followed me to the elevator. Once we reached the parking lot, I was about to go to my car but he stopped me by holding my hand. Ignoring my stupid hungry Evelyn driven heart and its flutters, I looked at him questionably.

"I was thinking we could drive together in my car. We're going to the same place after all and I know a great place with the best food in the world." He explained. I sighed and followed him to his car which was a dark grey Aston Martin. I was kinda surprised to see there was no driver because Adrian seemed to be a person who would have people at his beck and call, to drive or do anything he wanted. As if sensing my thoughts, he smiled and shook his head. "I like to drive myself. Hiring a driver just seems too much of a trouble. I have a personal driver, just in case, but I drive myself when I'm free."

With that, he opened his passenger door and held it out to me, trying to mimic a typical gentleman from the 80s. I rolled my eyes at his actions but got in nonetheless. He closed my door and walked over to the driver's seat. With a small smile sent my way, he drove us off to this place which had 'the best food in the world', wherever it was.

After around ten minutes of driving, Adrian parked in front of a lovely looking restaurant I hadn't been to before. It looked high class but at the same time had a homely feeling to it. He led me inside with his hand on the small of my back. Once we entered the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by a woman who looked to be in her mid forties. She was a petite woman with light blond hair and kind blue eyes. She got one look at us, or rather, at Adrian and came rushing towards us with a wide smile.

"Oh, my sweet heavens! Adrian Stone, is that you? My, you've grown so much since I last saw you! What took you so long to come visit this old lady? Boy, don't tell me you've been eating at that new restaurant down the road that everyone's talking about!" She exclaimed, gasping at the last sentence.

Adrian rolled his eyes but he had a bright smile on his face as he bent slightly to hug her since she just reached his chest. "Maggs, you saw me two months ago, remember? I hardly think I've grown at all in these two months. I've just been occupied with work so I couldn't come sooner. And no, I haven't been eating at any new restaurants. Don't worry, you're still my favourite." He finished with a wink her way and I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at seeing them interact.

As if just noticing me, the woman turned her head towards me and I hadn't thought it to be possible but her eyes turned even wider as she saw me. For a moment she just looked back and forth between me and Adrian as if searching for something and suddenly squealed.

"Oh my! How could I have been so rude? Please forgive me, dear. I'm so sorry for not noticing such a beautiful person sooner." I blushed a little at her words. Then she narrowed her eyes at Adrian. "And you, young man! Where are your manners? For the first time you have such a lovely lady with you and you didn't think it necessary to introduce me to her? What do you take me for, a blind cat woman?"

Adrian rolled his eyes again and looked at me sheepishly. "It's not like that, Maggs. You didn't give me a chance to introduce her. Anyways, Maggs, meet Evelyn White, the CEO of Eva's and Co., and my new business partner." He then turned to me, "Evelyn, this is-"

"Stop. I can introduce myself. I ain't a dumb old lady." She interrupted him and smiled sweetly at me.

"I'm Maggie but my close people call me Maggs. And of course, I give you full permission to call me Maggs as well because you're beautiful and I think I've seen you in papers so you're beautiful and a celebrity. I'm the owner of this place so from today onwards whenever you come here, I'll serve you personally and you'll have a special discount as well. And if you need t-"

This time Adrian was the one to interrupt. "Okay, Maggs. I'm sure she'll visit you someday and be your regular customer but for now, can we actually eat and not just talk of food?" Maggs glared at him and grumbled something under her breath and I giggled seeing them banter.

She then called one of the waitresses to show us to our table and left to 'make preparations to impress a beautiful lady' in her words. She even winked at me and was off with a little bounce in her steps.

Where had Adrian brought me to?